Book Title: Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories
Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

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Page 253
________________ 227 me, where will you go ?' While saying this, she took Nala into the house, and asked him to display his real form, So he took the garments and ornaments out of the vilvafruit and the casket, and put them on, and so assumed his own form. When Davadantí saw him, she was delighted, and embraced him closely, as a creeper does a tree. Bhímaratha, perceiving it, placed Nala on his own throne, and said to him: You are my lord; tell me what I am to do.' Saying this, he sat down before him, with his hands joined in an attitude of supplication. Dadhiparņa said to Nala : You are my sovereign, pardon what I did to you that was unbecoming towards a sovereign, since it was done in ignorance.' King Rituparna, having been summoned by Davadanti, came with Chandrayaças; and Vasanta, who under the name of Críçekhara had become lord of Tápasapura, was also summoned. King Bhímaratha showed them all honour. One day, when they were all sitting down in the audience-hall of Bhíma, a god arrived. He joined his hands in an attitude of supplication, and said to Davadanti : I am the abbot of the ascetics who was converted by you, and dying I became by the might of the Jaina religion a god in Saudharma.' For this reason, having rained down seven crores of gold, he returned to his own place. Bhímaratha, Rituparna, Vasanta, and the other kings, met together, and anointed Nala as sovereign. Then Nala gave them the order, and then, accompanied by them, surrounded with all their forces, with his wild elephants roaring, filling the heaven with the dust raised from the earth by the hoofs of his horses, terrifying the ears of all his eneniies by the creaking of his chariot-wheels, Nala arrived in the neighbourhood of the city of Ayodhyá. When Kúvara heard that Nala was coming, his body was swallowed by great distress. Nala sent this message to Kúvara by an ambassador: ‘Fight with me; let your fortune become mine, or let my fortune become yours.' Then Kúvara, being afraid to fight, began again to gamble; and Nala, being superior in merit, stripped him of all that he had. After this, Nala restored him to his former position of crown Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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